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Don't be fooled by Gillmore's repentance

We have heard this story before: "I'm a changed man. I have dedicated myself to Christ. You can rest easy that I won't commit another sex crime."

And yet, the truth about sex offenders is this: Given enough time, anywhere from one-third to one-half of them will re-offend.

Those are not comforting odds when it comes to Richard Troy Gillmore, 52, the notorious "Jogger Rapist" who has spent more than 30 years in prison, and who is once again up for parole.

Gillmore, like so many others, says he's a changed man. And as with so many others, we should not be too quick to be persuaded by his miraculous about-face or his apologies. This is a sexual predator who victimized eight women and their families.

Gillmore neatly fits the profile of a sexual predator who is likely to commit new crimes. According to the Center for Sex Offender Management, which is a program of the U.S. Department of Justice, sexual offenders most likely to re-offend display the following characteristics: Multiple victims, diverse victims, stranger victims, juvenile sex offenses, fetishes and impulses, a history of abuse and neglect, long-term separations from parents, negative relationships with their mothers, diagnosed antisocial personality disorders, unemployment, substance abuse, and chaotic, antisocial lifestyles.

Gillmore displays several of those characteristics, including having attacked multiple victims and being diagnosed with an ongoing personality disorder.

Gillmore is scheduled for a hearing before the State Board of Parole and Post-Prison Supervision on Wednesday, June 13. The parole board is accepting public comments regarding Gillmore's parole request.

Those comments are due by 5 p.m. Wednesday, June 6, and can be mailed to the Oregon Board of Parole, 2575 Center Street N.E., Salem, OR 97301. Emails with testimony included as an attachment can be sent to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

June 6 also is the deadline by which the public must apply to attend Gillmore's parole hearing, set for 8 a.m. Wednesday, June 13, at the Oregon State Correctional Institution in Salem. To apply, call 503-945-0902.

We strongly urge the public to act on this opportunity to comment. It's a matter of public safety.

This predator has victimized too many people already. Every effort should be made to make sure he lives out his life behind bars, haunted by the demons of his past.